Author Interview with Stacy G. Anderson

It's rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a 'real' job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you've had in your life?

Stacy Anderson: My ‘real’ job is saving my husband and sons from themselves – I guess that means I’m a modern day version of SuperMom, but then again aren’t we all? I have spent the last few years as a journalist writing for a newspaper and tightening my writing skills, earning awards and building a writing career but my main focus has and always will be as a mom, wife, sister, niece, cousin, granddaughter (my parents are both deceased) and someday, grandma, to my family.

What compelled you to write your first book?

Stacy Anderson: I had a friend that knew what we’d been doing as a family during one most difficult Christmas. She encouraged me (under threat of bodily harm ;-)) to write the story and share it with others thinking that it was a story the needed to be told.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Stacy Anderson: Yes,….but I really got the bug when a teacher of mine entered some poetry I’d written into a school contest. When I won, I was hooked knowing that I could inspire using a string of words thoughtfully put together rather than having to resort to using an audibly loud voice since I was blessed with the vocal chords of a mouse.

Tell us a little bit about your book/s.

Stacy Anderson: The Santa Letters is my first book although I’ve got bylines on close to 1,500 newsprint articles. I have contracts for two others; Life is Tough I Doubt I’ll Make it Out Alive (a humorous outlook on life) and The Legend of the Star (a Christmas picture book). I love them all because they are so different from each other – kind of like our children who have different personalities and characteristics but each are cherished for what they add to the world. You can read more about them on my author website at www.stacyganderson.com

Are you currently working on any writing projects our readers should watch for release soon?

Stacy Anderson: The next one will be the companion book to The Santa Letters called The Inmate Letters. I have several other too that you can also read about on my site www.stacyganderson.com.

Have you ever won any writing awards? If so, what?

Stacy Anderson: I’ve won several awards at my company; the company’s top award, their silver pen award and the Most Improved Award the year I started. I also won several awards through the Society of Professional Journalists, one being the highest honor given in Utah for investigative journalism for a story I did that went nationwide.

How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

Stacy Anderson: It was like giving birth after a gestation period of 3 years. ;-)

What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write?

Stacy Anderson: I don’t listen to music – it confuses the voices in my head.

What inspires you and motivates you to write the very most?

Stacy Anderson: This deep need to share stories that have chosen me knowing what they can do for people and how they can inspire.

What one thing are you the most proud of in your life?

Stacy Anderson: Without a doubt, my family.

What about your family? Do you have children, married, siblings, parents? Has your family been supportive of your writing?

Stacy Anderson: I have been married for 22 years to the same man and have four sons. And they all have extremely supportive of what I do. My youngest son told his school that he wanted to grow up to be a journalist just like his mom. I tild him to shoot higher – the pay is not very good…;-) I am the oldest of six children and my parents recently passed away at ages 61 and 63 from cancer. They were married for almost 40 years. My dad loved to write and was very supportive of me as he lived vicariously through my ‘pen’. He raised me on books. My mom too was proud of my writing although she was not much of a reader. My brothers and sister will probably be the last to read my books since I am just the “same old Stace” to them.

The main characters of your stories - do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

Stacy Anderson: Most of my writing has the people I love interspersed within the characters in my books since I write from real life experiences. That is how I put raw emotion into their dialogue and actions. I’ve lived it or watched it lived and so I can write about it being true to life.

Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

Stacy Anderson: No, although I do admire many writers out there and their different styles; Erma Bombeck, Richard Paul Evans, J. K Rowlings, Robert Fulgham – all different but all very talented.

When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?

Stacy Anderson: I read whatever I could get my hands on and however many I could check out from the library or the Bookmobile. I’d then fly through my chores so I could retire to my room, sit in my beanbag chair and read for hours on end. I begged for a fish tank one birthday just so I could get a light to read by a night without making my parents suspicious and raise their ire. Could have cared less about the fish but liked the fact that they ate at night under the tank lid’s light.

What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

Stacy Anderson: Anyone who writes quality books - famous or not - and anyone who has a story to tell or wisdom to share.

Hey, let's get morbid. When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

Stacy Anderson: I hope that they will say that I used wit and wisdom to uplift and inspire and that my life will be remembered by the other people I helped to achieve their dreams.

Location and life experience can sprinkle their influence in your writing. Tell us about where you grew up and a little about where you live now.

Stacy Anderson: I grew up all over the place since my dad was very good in his profession and kept getting recruited to different companies. I’ve lived in Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, California, and now in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah. I don’t care where I live as long as I am with my family. No matter where you live – you will find what you look for. If you look for happiness, you’ll find it. If you look for misery – you’ll find that too.

Do you have any pets?

Stacy Anderson: I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named KC (short for King Charles). He’s the world’s most terrible watchdog. He’d lick Adolf Hitler to death if given half a chance.

Bring us into your home and set the scene for us when you are writing. What does it look like?

Stacy Anderson: In a basement room that also serves as a guest bedroom with a pc on a L-shaped desk and an overhead light and desk lamp when I don’t want harsh lighting or am in a more mellow mood.

Do you watch television? If so, what are your favorite shows? Does television influence of inspire your writing?

Stacy Anderson: I don’t get much time to watch TV but when I do, I like to watch the CSI series and So You Think You Can Dance

What about movies? Same as above.

Stacy Anderson: Same thing,.. I don’t get much time to watch them but when I do It’s usually the big ones like Star Wars, Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean – blockbuster series type movies. My favorite all time though is Mulan.

Focusing on your most recent (or first) book, tell our readers what genre your book is and what popular author you think your writing style in this book is most like.

Stacy Anderson: It’s Christmas fiction and style,….hummmmm….maybe Richard Paul Evans although he uses more grown up words than me. ;-)

How long did it take you to write your most recent (or first) book? When you started writing, did you think it would take that long (or short)?

Stacy Anderson: I wrote it in a matter of about three weeks. The story – start to finish - was already in my head so it didn’t take long. Now getting it accepted an published,….that is another story!

Is there anyone you'd like to specifically acknowledge who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

Stacy Anderson: My parents, my husband and sons, my grandma, Aunt Ann and Uncle Kim and a Savior who blessed me with talents that I could develop and use to do a little bit of good in this world.

Is there any one particular book that when you read it, you thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I'd written that one!"?

Stacy Anderson: Harry Potter

Thinking about your writing career, is there anything you'd go back and do differently now that you have been published?

Stacy Anderson: Nope – we are put on paths so we can learn from mistakes as well as successes. To go back and do something different would possibly change the outcome now and I wouldn’t want to do that.

What is your main goal or purpose you would like to see accomplished by your writing?

Stacy Anderson: To uplift and inspire and make people think about where they are in life and how they can reach their greatest potentials.

How has having a book published changed your life?

Stacy Anderson: It’s made my schedule be a bit fuller but I live by the Popeye creed “I yam what I yam” so I keep things pretty well grounded – or at least try to.

Many authors have said that naming their characters is a difficult process, almost like choosing a name for their own child. How did you select the names of some of your lead characters in your book/s?

Stacy Anderson: In The Santa Letters, I used my parents name since it is dedicated to their memory. All the other books, I keep a list of names I like – both first and last – and when the story comes along, I just insert what feels right as I envision my characters.

Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

Stacy Anderson: That is happening right now in The Inmate Letters. The ending is turning out so much different than I ever expected but it’s better and grabs the reader more so I’m going with it. That story definitely has me in it’s grips and I can’t wait to see how it ends!

Is there any lesson or moral you hope your story might reveal to those who read it?

Stacy Anderson: To embrace the true gifts of the season and life. Find peace in those everyday things we take for granted.

Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?

Stacy Anderson: I have them all listed out on my website at www.thesantaletters.org.

It's said that the editing process of publishing a novel with a publisher is can be grueling and often more difficult than actually writing the story. Do you think this is true for you? How did you feel about editing your masterpiece?

Stacy Anderson: I’d gone over it so many times that by the time we got to that point, it was relatively painless. My editor, Lyndsee Cordes, would ask me questions on certain things and I give my opinion as to why I did those things and she’d take that into consideration and make it better.

Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?

Stacy Anderson: It’s still surreal and I can’t believe that a gal who lives in the Rocky Mountain region has managed to find so much success in writing a simple story of love and bringing Christ back into Christmas. I’m humbled and overwhelmed but grateful.

Now, use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know?
Anyone who wants to read find out more about me can go to my websites:

www.stacyganderson.com or www.thesantaletters.org.

It’s all there since my life is literally an open book! For those who want o read more of my writing, you can go to my blogsites at www.stayinalivewithstacy.blogspot.com or www.asabeaconlight.blogspot.com.

The books are available online August 1 at http://www.cedarfort.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.deseretbook.com, and it is also available from: Ingram (distributor for libraries, stores, etc.) and Anderson Merchandisers (distributor for Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, etc.),

They are also currently in the process of working with Booksamillion, Borders, Hastings, HMS Host (airport bookstores) and Baker & Taylor (another distributor).


(Michy's note: I have received this book in the mail pending a review. All I can say at this point is that this book is absolutely gorgeous!)